first time "assisting"

[denty]

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I have been volunteering at a community health clinic and they finally let me help out by assisting the dentists. Its waaay different than shadowing! They let me suction and set up amalgam, but I never realized how fast that stupid tongue moves! It was a lot of fun but I have to admit I was nervous also! I kept on sucking up the patients tongue or worse the doctor's finger! hahaha But its all good, things are getting better now, im just trying to keep up with all the lingo and names of equipment. If any of you have a chance to actually help do it, its way better than shadowing!!
👍

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

yeah im an assistant for an oral surgeon and it's such a different experience..right now though im just the one that holds heads cuz im still pretty new there..but pretty soon i'll get to do suctioning too! hehe

 

[sidewalkman]

Completely agree. I never realized how much stuff I took for granted before getting the opportunity to do it hands-on. The hardest part is learning all the names of the different instruments one can use, followed by learning what everything means on a detailed chart. Definately better than shadowing! 👍

 

[Trookie]

And it really makes you want to be a dentist even more, doesn't it? Shadowing is such a snore.

 

[drtoothfairy]

And this is the reason shadowing does not really look as great as some people think. You actually need to get in there and get your hands in it so that you really have some sense of what dentistry is. Some volunteers are not really allowed to do much but if they allow any of you, definitely go for it!! 👍

 

[denty]

I helped out with an extraction the other day! oh my gosh, I dont remember seeing one that bad, and I was ten times more nervous because the patient was in serious pain, crying and everything...even worse I was helping a junior dental student so i didnt want him to feel more nervous by me screwing up!

 

[drtoothfairy]

I helped out with an extraction the other day! oh my gosh, I dont remember seeing one that bad, and I was ten times more nervous because the patient was in serious pain, crying and everything...even worse I was helping a junior dental student so i didnt want him to feel more nervous by me screwing up!

Don't feel too bad, alot of times it is more the anxiety than the actual pain.

 

[demonicr]

i remember the first time i assisted with an extraction. with all the blood, the saliva and smell of the abcess, it almost made me change careers.